the dreaded question

[NobbyNobbs]

i was doing reasonably well (i hope!) at my job interview when she asked 'so what is Aspergers?' cue me stuttering and stammering something about it affecting my ability to write things from my head onto paper (we had been talking about university).

 

what should i have said? i didn't want to say it was a communication thing, because the job is a customer service one and i was worried that would have a negative impression. how do you explain what AS is without it sounding bad?

[smiley1590]

i don't know whether i should mention AS dyspraxia anxiety depression social anx when get a job feels this makes me stick out more and will employers understand the meaning behind the condition i scared and afraid it show anyways do i have to state i have AS etc or can keep it from them? as may affect the way i work sometimes! but i also feel negative outlook on disclosing something so personal and worried it affect my opportunities and chances though it shouldn't in modern society with equal opps still may crop up!

[TheNeil]

I once asked a job agency what their advice was and...drum roll please..."Do what you feel is right". Well that was helpful

 

Since then I've tried various approaches and the one that seems to work for me is to say that "I have AS, it's a form of autism and, while it can make me 'quirky', it also means that I have..." and then start stating the positives about being AS (not in any great detail, just a case of being able to fcous, being very loyal, tenacious, conscientious etc.). If the interviewer asks about 'quirks' then, naturally this will be unique to you but, just as with the 'positives' (possibly even more so) then just keep it brief, don't go into any great detail and downplay the things that you find difficult (e.g. "Well I sometimes struggle with social situations, I tend to find that ambiguous instructions can be problematic...").

 

Most employers won't know what an ASD is so it's very much in your hands how you want to portray it: Is it (to them) a 'massive problem' that stops you from being able to do the job, or is it a 'quirk' that, from many perspectives, actually makes you better for the job?

 

Although we're supposed to live in a society of equality and fairness (ha) most employers will opt to avoid 'problems'...so try to give them as little evidence of a 'problem' as you can.

 

Note: From personal experience, I got caught out good and proper at my last job interview, had to explain what AS was, how it affected me etc. The personnel woman admitted that she hadn't actually heard of AS before but the fact that I kept focusing on the positives never sent alarm bells ringing in her head. Must have worked though as I've been here for over 18 months now

[Tally]

I am just applying for jobs too and wondering whether to say anything.

 

It's hard to know what to suggest because it affects us all so differently, but here are some of this things I have been thinking about saying:

 

I can manage customer contact because the conversations are pretty standard and you can say the same kinds of things every time.

I find it hard to make friends, and to my new colleagues I might come across as quite shy or a little eccentric.

I find it hard to read non-verbal communication and sometimes can't tell if a person is making a joke or being sarcastic.

Sometimes things that might seem obvious are not obvious to me (it is worth saying this in case you misunderstand instructions, so that can instruct you clearly).

Sometimes I get bogged down in the detail and might need someone to advise me to move on to the next task (this can also sound like a positive quality to employers, so hopefully wouldn't put them off).